UKRAINE WAR: April 16, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 417
Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner exchange that resulted in the return of 130 Ukrainian prisoners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Telegram on April 16. He did not say how many Russians were released in what he called a "great Easter exchange."
Zelenskiy congratulated Orthodox Christian Ukrainians on the occasion of Easter, noting that after 417 days of war with Russia, the country retains an "unshakeable faith" in victory. "We are not only waiting and asking, but we are winning and creating this victory ourselves," Zelenskiy said in a video addresson April 16. "With all our strength, we fight for our land and ask for the help of heavenly forces” - RFE/RL
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-connected businessman who controls the Wagner mercenary group that is playing a leading role in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, has said that a long conflict in Ukraine could lead to the dissolution of Russia. In a statement published on Telegram on April 15, Prigozhin urged Moscow to declare its goals in Ukraine as "achieved" and bring an end to the fighting there. Prigozhin wrote that "many of those who yesterday supported the special operation today either have doubts or are categorically opposed to what is happening."
Poland and Hungary have decided to ban imports of grain and other food from neighbouring Ukraine to protect the local agricultural sector, the two governments said on Saturday, after a flood of supply depressed prices across the region. Ukraine expressed regret about the Polish decision, saying that "resolving various issues by unilateral drastic actions will not accelerate a positive resolution of the situation". After Russia's invasion blocked some Black Sea ports, large quantities of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than that produced in the European Union, ended up staying in Central European states due to logistical bottlenecks, hitting prices and sales for local farmers.
At least eight people were killed and 21 injured in Russian missile strikes in the eastern city of Sloviansk, officials said. The head of the Sloviansk city military administration said the attack was "one of the most massive since the beginning of the year." Zelensky said people are under the rubble and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has not spoken since to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite the latter’s repeated requests. And the “sound and stable” relationship they touted seems like a distant memory. The question of when and whether Mr. Xi will speak with Mr. Zelensky — which Western leaders have also urged him to do — reflects their countries’ uncertain state of relations amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. Before the war, trade and cultural exchanges had been growing. Now both sides are juggling goals that sometimes conflict - NYT